True Left

Stephanie Ruhle breaks down recent Russian propaganda defending Vladimir Putin’s massing of troops on the Ukrainian border that has made its way into American media. And why we should be listening to the Ukrainian people over everyone else.

The Biden administration on Friday issued its most urgent warning yet that Russia could launch a war in Ukraine at any time. More than 100,000 Russian troops surround Ukraine on three sides, and national security adviser Jake Sullivan urged Americans to leave by the end of the weekend. U.S. officials tell our Nick Schifrin, they fear the war could start next week.

The US and its allies have new intelligence that suggests Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine even before the end of the Olympics, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.  #CNN #News

Moscow is digging in its heels. Troops, tanks, missiles and warships from all of Russia's military districts have been deployed along the Ukrainian border.

Everything looks set for a major offensive. The motive? Supposedly to counter NATO's growing presence in the region.
 
But what if the outcome of this operation was exactly the opposite of what Moscow intended? Could the United States be looking forward to Russia's invasion of Ukraine? This is one of the key questions yet very few have asked it. In this video we take a look at four of the major reasons why Russia invading Ukraine could be a tremendous mistake and the big trap Vladimir Putin is facing.

If I were in charge, once we have enough troops ready, I would threaten to take back Crimea. This at least puts Russia in the same psychological condition ("Will they really invade?") as we are currently in, and hence puts the two sides back on equal footing.

Russia said that it has recalled some of its diplomatic staff from Ukraine over fears of provocations from Kyiv and its allies in response to similar actions by the US, UK and other countries.

#Russia #Ukraine #EnglishNews

President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin to back down Saturday as concerns grow that Russia could invade Ukraine at any moment; Michael George reports for CBS2.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated that his country intends to join NATO when asked about the remarks of his country's ambassador to the UK, who suggested Kyiv might abandon those ambitions to avoid further Russian aggression. #CNN #News

Diplomacy continues in the attemp of resolving the political crisis in Ukraine. This Monday, the German chancellor Olaf Scholz went to Kiev to meet with Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenksy. This as a ring of Russian troops around Ukraine tightens.
#ukraine #nato #russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded "all right" to a suggestion by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that the Kremlin extend efforts to reach a diplomatic solution with the West over tensions in Ukraine.

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss the major concerns within the U.S. military over Putin's amassed forces near Ukraine’s borders. “He could use cyber attacks, and he could certainly use conventional ground, air, and even maritime forces to put troops ashore in any number of places,” says Kirby. “With each passing day, he gives himself more options for a major military action.”

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Bill Taylor, and Ed Luce of the Financial Times join Morning Joe to discuss the latest in Ukraine and the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine during the Olympics.

U.S. officials tell CBS News Russian forces have moved rocket launchers and long-range artillery into possible firing positions, but the Kremlin says it is pulling back troops and wants to continue diplomatic negotiations. CBS News' Skyler Henry reports from the White House, and then CBS News reporter Haley Ott joins us from Kyiv, Ukraine, with the latest.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels on February 15, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg responded to Russia’s reported partial withdrawal by saying, “So far we have not seen any sign of de-escalation on the ground.”

“Russia has amassed a fighting force in and around Ukraine, unprecedented since the Cold War,” he said. “Everything is now in place for a new attack. But Russia still has time to step back from the brink. Stop preparing for war.”

Despite the seriousness of the security crisis, Stoltenberg said there were “signs from Moscow that diplomacy should continue. This gives grounds for cautious optimism.”

ABC News' James Longman discusses the next steps and how significant the escalation would be if Putin gives the go-ahead to invade Ukraine.

#ABCNews #FigureSkatingScandal #OlympicsControversy

NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel, Former US Ambassador of NATO Douglas Lute, NBC News National Security Analyst Clint Watts, and NBC News Political Analyst and New York Times Chief White House Correspondent Peter Baker joined Chris Jansing to discuss the confusion coming out of Ukraine after Putin said Russia will pull back some of its troops. This morning the Secretary General of NATO said “he doesn’t see any evidence of a real de-escalation,” Engel says.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia does not want a war in Europe, but that the answers to its security guarantee proposals given by the U.S. and NATO do not address its demands.
 
#News #Reuters #Russia #Ukraine #Putin

The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced February 15 as “the day Western propaganda failed”

With Russia announcing that its troops are pulling back following the completion of exercises near the border with Ukraine, Moscow has insisted that predictions it could be just moments away from ordering a full-blown invasion have been proven false.

In a fiery statement on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova poured scorn on weeks of reports and claims from US and European officials that Moscow’s armed forces could be just hours away from launching a strike against its neighbor.

“15 February 2022 will go down in history as the day Western war propaganda failed,” she wrote. According to her, the West has been “shamed and destroyed without firing a single shot.”

At the same time, Moscow’s Ministry of Defense announced that a number of Russian troops had finished their training exercises in Belarus, close to the Ukrainian border, and will begin the process of withdrawing.

Amid fears of a potential incursion, Moscow has sought security guarantees that would limit the expansion of NATO closer to its borders and block Ukraine from joining its ranks. However, the bloc’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that Russia has “no veto” on Kiev’s ambitions to secure membership.

On Monday, Russia’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, said that his side had been disappointed by the response from NATO and the US, but there were still hopes of reaching a diplomatic solution. Speaking shortly after Zakharova on Tuesday, he claimed that Western reports of an imminent invasion amounted to “information terrorism.”

Russia: “we demand guarantees from NATO and will take necessary actions”
pulls back force without concessions
“WE. ARE. VICTORIOUS”